Conversations – The Soul of Punjab

A few photos of the grand old women and men who were young at the time of the “hallaa” … the Partition.

Over deep conversations about phulkaris, over chai & pakodas followed by parathas & butter, we bonded – discussing the culture of their youth, of their childhood homes and the culture of the time.

The revelations and abstractions of the recorded interviews will all follow later.

Until then a few photos of those unforgettable conversations.

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Besides the weaving of the Khaddar, the embroidery with silk, and the usage of these textiles, some told heart wrenching stories of the partition. If you look at the photos one can see that the despair has not yet left the eyes that have seen those days.

The emotional narrations confirmed to me, that one can never look at any folk artwork in isolation – one must necessarily dive deep to understand the circumstantial history that shaped the cultural crucible of the artworks.

More on the interesting findings soon.

jaina

Feb 2019